A&H

Unsporting behavior?

MDF

MDF

New Member
Level 3 Referee
interested in your thoughts...I'm sure I'm not the first to come across this.
I award a corner to blue. As blue 7 walks across, blue 10 says "watch the ball carefully ref". Blue 7 places ball in arc, puts foot in ball, absentmindedly rolls it out of arc then yells to team mate "hey Fred, you take the corner" but obviously according to LOTG the ball is in play, although the defending team is potentially unaware of this.
Do you allow play to proceed or blow up for unsporting behavior?
 
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Play on. It is one of the oldest tricks in the book and every coach who gets his team to do it thinks he's the first person to think of it
 
If the player kicks the ball (and I see it) without saying anything then its play on.

However, if he shouts anything while he is doing it then its USB -
  • verbally distracts an opponent during play or at a restart
Fits nicely. Teach him to try and be a smart ass
 
No caution for the simple fact to try to be a smart ass, he's not doing anything wrong, just trying to exploit the law

IMO it's just like a defender touching the ball before it went out of the area after a FK so the opponent who was waiting for the ball to cross the ball can't take it, you can say it's not fair play but he's just someone who knows the rules and how to use them
 
SM, agree 100% .. and we all know I don't say that very often :rolleyes:.

The trick is fine and giving the ref a quiet heads up about what you're planning is a smart move. But as soon as that shout is added then I'm with you, it's the very definition of verbal distraction and clear UB.
 
If this happens then i too would be cautioning if the player takes a touch and plays it after his team mate has called for him to take it.
If there is no call, I'd be going for the proactive approach and be calling it when the ball is in play so everyone knows.
 
And when two or three team mates are whispering before a FK, are you proactive and calling "hey, number 10 is gonna play it !" so everyone knows ?
 
HullRef said:
If this happens then i too would be cautioning if the player takes a touch and plays it after his team mate has called for him to take it.
If there is no call, I'd be going for the proactive approach and be calling it when the ball is in play so everyone knows.
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No, no, no, no, NO.

Be proactive to say the ball is in play but a caution is soooo heavy handed it's unbelievable. This ploy will work once a season when both referee and opposition aren't switched on to it. A defender is bound to shout that it has been played or to ask you if its been played.
 
He's attempting to circumnavigate the laws. By underhand and unsporting tactics. Caution for me...

Even with no shout, I would order a retake if the ball didn't make a full revolution.
 
Yacinho said:
And when two or three team mates are whispering before a FK, are you proactive and calling "hey, number 10 is gonna play it !" so everyone knows ?
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No because that won't cause me any problems, if there is 3 players lined up, everyone accepts that they don't know who's going to take it. At a corner if the attacker takes it the defenders are at a severe disadvantage because if they run to get it, the attackers will say they haven't taken it, therefore the defenders can't win. If I'm proactive in saying when the ball is in play, I'm not undermining any team but I'm covering my own back.
 
MalB said:
He's attempting to circumnavigate the laws. By underhand and unsporting tactics. Caution for me...

Even with no shout, I would order a retake if the ball didn't make a full revolution.
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Ball making a full revolution is surely irrelevant in law. It doesn't even need to leave the corner arc - it is in play as soon as it is touched and moves, however slightly. Incidentally I think the fact it doesn't need to leave the arc probably ranks in the top 5 of unknown laws.

For the record, no way I am cautioning for this. That would be firmly in the 'too busy referee' category for me.
 
Nothing wrong with doing this, but as he's shouted out as if to indicate the kick has yet to be taken, I'd be ordering a retake on that basis. Seems unfair on the defender when the attacker clearly attempts to put them off by saying something.

If he'd said nothing, then play on.

Never EVER a caution
 
No caution, play on - but I'd be keeping an eye on the initial "taker" to make sure he doesn't touch the ball again before another player. He might think he's being smart, but a defender might spot what has happened and be closing down ahead of attacker #2.
 
MalB said:
He's attempting to circumnavigate the laws. By underhand and unsporting tactics. Caution for me...

Even with no shout, I would order a retake if the ball didn't make a full revolution.
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Hi, how is it back in the 1990s? Ball and full revolution???
 
MalB said:
He's attempting to circumnavigate the laws. By underhand and unsporting tactics. Caution for me...
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No he's not
The ball is in play once he kicked it, period, that's the law, how could he be circumnavigating anything by EXACTLY doing what he got to do for the ball to be in play ?!
 
Yacinho said:
No he's not
The ball is in play once he kicked it, period, that's the law, how could he be circumnavigating anything by EXACTLY doing what he got to do for the ball to be in play ?!
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@Yacinho. covertly touching the ball to put it in play is absolutely fine. But as soon as he shouts out to a teammate 'you take it', that is when he is 100% trying to verbally distract an opponent (or in fact ALL his opponents ;)). At that point, for me, it becomes a nailed on caution for UB. Would those averse to a caution in this instance ever decide to caution for verbal distraction??
 
I'm not talking about the shout here, just the fact to try to play the corner like that
 
Yacinho said:
No he's not
The ball is in play once he kicked it, period, that's the law, how could he be circumnavigating anything by EXACTLY doing what he got to do for the ball to be in play ?!
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Yes he is!
He's circumnavigating the law but the cheating shout to his team mate.... caution.
 
Brian Hamilton said:
No, no, no, no, NO.

Be proactive to say the ball is in play but a caution is soooo heavy handed it's unbelievable. This ploy will work once a season when both referee and opposition aren't switched on to it. A defender is bound to shout that it has been played or to ask you if its been played.
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No no no..???..!

If the unfair, cheating, unsporting shout to his team mate isn't a caution for usb....I don't know what is!..

As for my full rev comment... OK, a little out dated or poor explanation but its the referee who needs to be sure the the ball is played.... if for instance the players boot is on the ball and rolls it...... is it in play yet?... or is it only once its left his boot?.... If the referee didn't see the ball actually move... then its not in play.
 
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